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Disney releases The Little Mermaid Original Motion Picture soundtrack

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The Little Mermaid, Disney
The Little Mermaid, Disney

Image credit: Disney

Disney has put a contemporary spin on their classic animation The Little Little Mermaid. Originally written by Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tale has resurfaced, and this time with a twist. Now reimagined, The Little Mermaid is a musical adaptation featuring singer-songwriter Halle Bailey as Ariel, the little mermaid herself. 

The major motion picture made its debut on the 26th of May and, naturally, the official soundtrack, written by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, and Lin-Manuel Miranda, followed soon after – available now across digital streaming platforms. Fans can also purchase the cinematic score on vinyl at Disney Music Emporium.

Rob Marshall, the film’s director and producer, said the following: “Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda have written three thrilling new songs and one new reprise for this film, which is kind of amazing. It’s extraordinary actually.”

Listen/watch ‘Part of Your World’ below:

Interview with ‘Wolfram Alpha’ producer Ed is Dead

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Ed is Dead, Bicep, Fred Again.., Ross for Friends, Overmono
Ed is Dead, Bicep, Fred Again.., Ross for Friends, Overmono

Seemingly unafraid of trying new things, Ed is Dead has played around with artificial intelligence and created his newest release, a track entitled ‘Wolfram Alpha’. The track seems to be more about feeling than logical progression. There is a natural unravelling that occurs, giving the track a quality of spontaneity. It is the antithesis of stiff. Moving from one form of expression to another, it evolves as if it were a living thing, which indeed it is. 

Stream / Download: Ed is Dead – ‘Wolfram Alpha’

We spoke with Ed is Dead to discuss the creation of this so-called musical lifeform, how he came into music, his favourite plugins, and more.

Hey, Ed. Welcome to BSMNT Club.

Hi and thank you for the interview, a true pleasure!

You created your latest song using AI. How did it affect your creativity?

For now, it’s a tool that speeds up the process of generating ideas for me and allows me to, for example, change vocal tones. It also helps in editing or mixing processes. Creatively speaking, I think the more stereotypical the music you want to make, the more you can rely on AI. But that’s not the case for me at the moment.

With the emergence of this technology, where do you see the music industry in a few years from now?

I think AI has simply accelerated the process in which art becomes Industry and participates in the worst face of capitalism. It seems as if everything is orchestrated on purpose. For example, first, we get the average listener used to autotune, shorten songs, simplify music to unimaginable limits, ridicule maturity in lyrics. And then we’re surprised that an AI can clone it? I believe that in the very long run, mainstream music will no longer be created by humans, but there will be a kind of “audiophile niche” where the uniqueness and complexity of the artist will be highly valued.

Can you tell us a bit about how you got into music?

It’s a long story, but basically, as a child, I sought refuge in music and taught myself to play the piano. Over the years, I ended up playing percussion and, against all odds, started touring with bands and making a living as a drummer. In parallel, electronic music became a passion of mine. What used to be my hobbies – creating and DJing crude hip-hop or drum ‘n’ bass beats – eventually turned into my profession.

Give us a sense of the music scene where you are based.

Well, to be 100% honest, in my city, and almost by extension in my country, the musical scene that I align myself with is tremendously small, if not nonexistent. I suppose I belong to a generation that grew up listening to IDM, breaks, Drum ‘n’ Bass, as well as genres like Metal, Grunge, Trip-hop, and Rap. While I’ve had periods in my life where dance music and the club scene were a part of it, I currently find myself drawn to more cerebral music that isn’t so closely tied to the nightlife. I’ve never been a fan of labels, and I’ve always had the challenge of enjoying and creating diverse genres of music.

Tell us about your studio set-up and gear.

I have a kind of Diogenes syndrome when it comes to synths, but I’m not a 100% advocate of analog only. I also find many aspects of the digital world super interesting, such as granular synthesis, among other things. I mostly work with Cubase, although sometimes I use Ableton/Max DSP for sound design. As for my synths, I think I would keep the Prophet 6, Korg Alpha, Matrixbrute, and recently the Waldorf Iridium. I’m addicted to plugins, and I love trying out new things and stepping out of my comfort zone. Some recent ones I’ve been using are Novum for granular synthesis, Phaseplant and Serum as versatile options for almost everything, and this week, I’m trying out Excite’s Motion for distorting and adding movement to leads.

What are some of your key musical influences?

I can imagine that the list of artists I mentioned would change completely every five minutes. Some of the ones I can recall right now are Squarepusher, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, Björk, Air, DJ Shadow, Noisia, Aphex Twin, Korn, Deftones, Pantera, Aphrodite, Massive Attack, Portishead, Refused, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Art Blakey, Otis Redding, trentemøller, and also some salsa, Latin music, reggae, and dub, I suppose… (As I write, I’m regretting everything I’m forgetting, so I’ll stop here).

As an artist, how do you infuse your music with emotion?

This is a challenging topic. I suppose it’s delicate, especially when you’re involved in electronic music, to not let technology dictate your creative process and to infuse soul, or at least try to, into your compositions. I believe that freeing myself from certain common protocols in music composition with DAWs (such as setting BPMs for a track without even knowing the story I want to tell) allows me to approach it more like a compositional process with ‘organic’ instruments. I try to base it on concepts, and for example, approaching the introduction of instruments as I would when composing pieces for contemporary dance helps me avoid approaching the music in such a rigid manner, as is often the case in more standard electronic genres.

In your opinion, how has bass music evolved over the last few years?

I agree that the term ‘Bass Music’ has evolved tremendously and encompasses a wide range of styles. It spans from mainstream and stereotypical sounds that I may not personally connect with, to truly cutting-edge styles where you can still sense a bit of that experimental spirit from the early days of Dubstep or Drum ‘n’ Bass/Jungle. One common aspect of Bass Music, I believe, is that it probably includes some of the most technically demanding genres to produce, along with genres like hardstyle.

What has been a memorable highlight of your career so far?

Mmm, officially I should probably mention something like playing at the opening of Sonar or a similar massive event, but honestly, some of the happiest moments have been very intimate. Like about a year ago when I DJ’d with my friend Piek at a club with around 100 people in Pamplona, or when Arca came to work at my studio. I think my greatest moments are when the music is above absolutely everything else.

Who do you look up to in the DJ world?

I don’t admire any current DJs, but I do admire many producers who also DJ. However, honestly, what the DJing world has become makes me cringe. I love genuine music selectors who blow my mind with their track selection. But technically, a DJ set doesn’t impress me anymore. On the contrary, people like Thys, Two Fingers, Skylark, Little Snake, Misanthrop, and many of the big names in Drum ‘n’ Bass and breaks, whenever they release a new track, it restores my hope in music and truly makes me very, very happy.

If you weren’t a musician what would you be?

Mmm, probably MTB Enduro Pro rider (haha, I wish!).

What can we expect from you in the near future? Any upcoming projects or gigs in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?

Usually, I release an album every two years, and it consumes a lot of my time and energy. However, this year, I’ve taken a more relaxed approach and focused on releasing singles and collaborating with other artists, as well as working on soundtracks for films and theatre. Taking this more laid-back approach has been beneficial for me as it allows me time to ‘lose” myself in playing with synths and experimenting. So, I will continue to release tracks under my name, like Ed is Dead, or under my new aka, Daed Side.

Tour Dates:

07 July – (Cultural Event), Albania

16 Sept – Cuerpo Romo Festival, Teatros del Canal – Madrid, Spain

29 Sept – Entropia Festival, Zaragoza, Spain

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The Beautiful Blū shares sophomore single

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The Beautiful Blū

Anonymous act The Beautiful Blū has shared its latest single ‘Future Blur’. The track is its second release after the single ‘One Final Day’ dropped last month and will feature alongside the track on the act’s debut album iGenocide – a title that captures the project’s conceptual subject matter.

‘Future Blur’, a microcosm of the greater whole from which it has been taken, is a sonic investigation into the dangers inherent in ignoring slow, iterative transformation, and asks the question, are we evolving or just changing things because we can? 

A deep subject worth investigating, the act drew an apt analogy when it said, “What does the future hold? We tend to assume that everything will be OK. Many of us know the classic experiment that when you put a frog in boiling water it will jump out, but that when you put it in water, and then slowly turn the heat up, it will boil to death. Why? Because when things change slowly, we tend to accept the changes, even when the changes are for the worse.”

Ryuichi Sakamoto’s management shares deceased composer’s ‘Funeral’ playlist

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Ryuichi Sakamoto
Ryuichi Sakamoto

Image credit: nss (zakkubalan)

After Ryuichi Sakamoto’s passing on the 28th of March, his management shared a rather eerie playlist that the 71-year-old curated before losing his ongoing battle with cancer. Titled Funeral, the playlist contains 33 tracks by the likes of collaborator alva noto, French pianist Erik Satie (who makes a number of appearances throughout), and the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach to name a few. Curated by a man in the midst of self-grieving, it is a sombre farewell.

“We would like to share the playlist that Ryuichi had been privately compiling to be played at his own funeral to accompany his passing,” said his management. They first shared the playlist on Twitter, tugging at the heartstrings of musicians and fans alike when they tweeted, “He truly was with music until the very end.”

Listen to the Funeral playlist below:

SoundCloud’s new ‘Fans’ tool allows musicians to connect with devoted fans

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SoundCloud
SoundCloud

As musicians know, the audience is everything. As such, SoundCloud is in the process of launching an innovative new feature on SoundCloud for Artists that will enable creators to make direct contact with key members of their audience. Called ‘Fans’, the feature was built to help artists forge stronger bonds with their die-hard fans. 

Still in the beta phase, the feature has been made available to over 50,000 test users, who are now able to message the select few who make a difference. The hope here is that artists will be able to build increasingly meaningful relationships with their core followers. 

The potential here is worth noting: instead of relying on streams, musicians could, at least in theory, offer their loyal listeners exclusive content and merchandise, leading to higher revenue; the possibilities are endless. In addition, musicians will be able to track listening behaviours and form strategies based on the feature’s handy analytics dashboard.

ascendant vierge Release Genre Bending Une Nouvelle Chance Album 

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Image courtesy of PR

France based global phenoms ascendant vierge released their genre-bending album entitled One Nouvelle Chance on April 28. The album merges electronic with a hypnotic, idiosyncratic aesthetic.

The duo, which is composed of producer Paul Seul and vocalist Mathilde Fernandez, began creating the album during the 2020 lockdown. They strived and succeeded to generate an all new style which is a musical melting pot of happy hardcore, EDM, trance, and hyperpop. 

With poetic lyrics by Mathilde Fernandez and mixing by Geoff Swan (Rina Sawayama, Caroline Polachek, Charli XCX),the wide-ranging project crystallizes why they’ve already provided a cult-favorite performance for Yves Saint-Laurent; worked with the likes of Danny L Harle; and sold out shows in London, Berlin, Madrid, Prague, and more. 

Tune in here!

Charlotte de Witte Shares New Single ‘High Street’

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Belgian Techno producer and DJ Charlotte de Witte has shared her latest single, ‘High Street’ on the 21st of April via her own label KNTXT.

The new single follows de Witte’s recent collaborative EP, ‘Reflection’, with Enrico Sangiuliano and coincides with the artist’s North American Tour which kicked off in Toronto and will take her to numerous cities across the US before finishing up on 28th May at Movement Detroit. (Tour Dates here)

“I’ve been playing this one in every set during the last couple of months. I’m so, so, so excited to finally put it out here.” said Charlotte on her Instagram.

Listen to ‘High Street’ here.

Kooma plays with texture in latest song

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Kooma, Øfdream, CHVRN, eevee, Jinsang
Kooma, Øfdream, CHVRN, eevee, Jinsang

Image credit: Samir Abya

Returning to the proverbial mixing desk, producer Kooma has strung together a sequence of warm notes, which form his newest offering, a single named ‘Hydra’. Released via Floating, Drifting Records, the single chases his February release, ‘Subliminal’, and shares much of the same vinyl-ised textures; both records are drenched in the noise old musical mediums produced, which gives them much of their character.

Stream / Download: Kooma – ‘Hydra’

From the get-go, Kooma’s record establishes an ineffable emotion. The feeling reminds me of the moment before one drifts off to sleep, you know, that limbo state between wakefulness and dreams. It’s uncanny. Perhaps it’s the lullaby-like pluck or its melody. Either way, the emotion is palpable. It really doesn’t take much to feel it.

An image sparked the producer’s imagination, inspiring him to complete the record. “Waves of the ocean were hitting the breakwater and creating these massive water splashes,” he shared. “That sight alone flipped the creative switch, both audio-wise and visually. The distorted lead synth of the chorus reflects the waves roaring toward me in the artwork.”

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DJ and producer COFRESI drops ‘I’M NOT’

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COFRESI
COFRESI

Image via publicist

Multifaceted Chicago-based musician, instrumentalist, DJ, and producer COFRESI teases the arrival of his forthcoming experimental EP, AGENDA, with a glitchy, emotional slice of downtempo in his first release of the year, ‘I’M NOT’. The single offers a first-hand look at his upcoming EP, which will showcase his boundary-pushing production style across six new magnetic tracks. Known for his experimental live/digital hybrid sets that see him blend his extensive percussive background with electronic elements, COFRESI is unveiling his most ambitious project yet. Due for release on 4/6, the AGENDA EP will present a chronicle of bass, house, and electronica-infused productions, with positivity as the common denominator. The lead single, “I’M NOT,” is out now across all streaming platforms.

 LISTEN: COFRESI – I’M NOT

The concept of “I’M NOT” stemmed from COFRESI’s long-standing passion for integrating live musical elements into a digital soundscape. From organic flutes, striking vocal chops, and melodic cadences to the dynamic downtempo percussion, and pulsing basslines and chords, this track comes together piece by piece to create a rollercoaster of sounds oozing with emotion. COFRESI’s background in live recording shows his captivating ability to incorporate multidimensional digital and acoustic percussion into modern electronic music. Speaking on his inspiration behind the track, COFRESI says, “the initial idea for “I’M NOT came together the day after I saw Polo & Pan perform at Radius in Chicago. I was getting deeper into the city’s music scene then and exploring more dance-focused artists. Polo & Pan’s approach to their live show and music struck a chord in me, and this tune was essentially an application of that inspiration.”

COFRESI brings something to the table that no other producer is in our current state of music. Drawing inspiration from live electronic acts such as Polo & Pan, L’Impératrice, The Blaze, and more,  COFRESI plays with a wide range of electronic styles with his forthcoming AGENDA EP, ranging from bass to house music. Staying true to his roots in live music, the EP will have various samples of live recorded instrumentals and vocals fused with sleek sound design to carry forward the evolution of his signature sound.

“At its core, this song encapsulates the dichotomy of struggle amidst the beauty in life. It provides a breath of fresh air in contrast to the madness of the world and our lives at times. In a way, I made this tune so that people can either resonate with the positive aspects & melodies or dive into the deeper context and meanings of the song.” – COFRESI

ABOUT COFRESI – Born and raised in Chicago, COFRESI pushes the boundaries of production and live electronic performance. Whether it’s his creative approach to rhythms and percussion or his energetic live sets, COFRESI never ceases to impress and captivate his audience. Since making his official release debut in 2017, he has gone on to perform his unique live/electronic hybrid set at a myriad of globally-renowned festivals, including Electric Forest, North Coast, Same Same But Different, EDC Mexico, SXSW, and Hulaween. His music, oozing with originality and versatility, has found a home on a string of labels, such as Gravitas, TooFuture, AltVision, Epitaph, Bonafyde, and Westwood Records, to name a few, as well as garnered support from a diverse list of leading figures in electronic music, including the likes of Autograf, Polo & Pan, Mr. Carmack, So Down, Disco Biscits, and NGHTMRE.

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Felower and Kasztan’s collaborative double A-side single conveys personality

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Felower, Kasztan, TEED, Bicep, Floating Points
Felower, Kasztan, TEED, Bicep, Floating Points

Image credit: MartaCygan

Tasked with reinterpreting the same sound palette, producers Felower and Kasztan have joined forces to tinker with alternate styles in their latest release, a double A-side single titled ‘Silhouettes / Contour’. “Instead of finishing one song together, we took that raw material home to make different songs. From there, Felower crafted a dark ethereal pop song called Silhouettes while I pushed in a different direction with a more instrumental and breakbeat cut called Contour”. Kasztan elaborates.

Stream / Download: Felower X Kasztan – ‘Silhouettes / Contour’

Felower’s version, ‘Silhouettes’, is a danceable record with percussions that shuffle with a swelling modulated bassline. It is easy to picture the track being performed in a dark basement performance like a boiler room set. In addition, he is the only one of the two artists to use the vocal melody as a chorus vocal, which gives the piece its shadowy feeling. Leaning more toward the decorative drum fills of UKG, Kasztan’s version ‘Contour’ shimmers with hi-hats and ornamental stutters that create points of fascination. The result is an Electro track that feels futuristic and ever-changing, which is enjoyable.

Follow Felower:

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Follow Kasztan:

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